Portland's annual Puppet & Bobbin fair drew roughly twice as many attendees this year as it did in its debut season, according to organizers, who credited a surge of new hobbyists discovering finger puppetry through social video.
Vendors selling articulated felt hands were among the fastest to sell out, with several makers reporting they'd sold their entire weekend inventory by Saturday afternoon. One first-time exhibitor said she'd underestimated demand by roughly half and spent Saturday night hand-stitching replacement stock in her hotel room.
Organizers say next year's fair will move to a larger venue to accommodate both vendors and the growing crowd of buyers, and are considering adding a second day dedicated entirely to workshops.